There’s Defense, and Then There’s Defense

The recently ravaged Courantreports today that President Obama’s promise to trim military spending programs put Connecticut’s defense industry squarely on “the hot stove,” according to Rep. Joe Courtney. An industry analyst quoted in the story says that Electric Boat’s contract for Virginia-class submarines likely won’t be affected, despite Obama’s desire to rid the military establishment of “Cold War-type weapons.”

More clearly at risk for Pratt is its F-22 business. Defense Secretary Robert Gates opposes buying more than the 183 already built or on order, arguing that they haven’t been used at all in Iraq or Afghanistan, and that the Pentagon needs money for the joint strike fighter.

This is good news for EB, Groton and the state at large, since the shipbuilder employs close to 8,000 people. There is no guarantee, though, that Obama won’t target the sub projects later on.

Meanwhile, over at The Day, Jennifer Grogan popped out this hackfest about some guy who was both an astronaut and a submariner. From the unappealing anecdotal lede about the similar smells of the International Space Station and that of a submarine, to the comically bold assertion that astronauts and sailors have so much in common because they’re “trained to survive in uninhabitable environments,” this story is not good.